Ada compiler support for large simulation programs

It is pointed out that Ada language and Ada compiler implementations are much more complex than the language systems of the past. The Ada language was designed to reduce the life-cycle cost of large software systems. Even though the language encourages the use of modern software engineering principles, the effectiveness of such adoption in reducing the cost of development depends significantly on the Ada compilation system used. The author details many of the facilities in a compiler vendor´s offering that must be made available to support the development of large simulation programs. It is shown that a compiler that just meets the requirements specified in the ANSI/MIL-STD-1815A is not sufficient for developing large simulation programs. That implementation must have features to address the special characteristics of simulation programs. In addition, the compiler vendor should be willing to work with the user to arrive at practical solutions to the programming problems